Not E-Z Being Green

As part of my orientation package from MINI, I was told that the MINI E – being a Zero Emissions vechicle (or ZEV) – qualifies for a variety of discounts and incentives. In New York, that includes the “E-Z Pass Clean Pass” tag which features discounts at non-peak hours on various bridges & tunnels, and the Clean Pass sticker which allows access to HOV lanes.

Trouble is, the people at E-Z Pass New York don’t see the MINI E as being a ZEV.

In New Jersey it hasn’t been a problem, and I’ve seen at least one other NY MINI E with a Clean Pass sticker – but the rejection letter I got, and the almost identical conversation I had with a Supervisor at the E-Z Pass NY Center, said “The MINI E doesn’t meet the MPG requirements”. I pointed out that it doesn’t take any G, therefor it has no MPG rating, and got the bureaucratic “I’m sorry sir, that’s not what I see here on my screen”. Apparently the good people at MINI didn’t fill out the paperwork correctly in NY.

Next step is to go into an E-Z Pass Service Center and see if I can entice a supervisor to come outside and look at my gas tank. Stay tuned.